Greenhouse construction



June 28, 1938. P. J. 4FoLEY. JR 2,122,005

' GREENHOUSE CONSTRUCTION Filed' June 7. 19157 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 28, 1938. P. J. FOLEY, J 2,122,005

GREE-NHOSE CONSTRUCTON Filed June '7, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Illlllllllll rThis,y invention relates ljto. improvements'cin `greenhouse constructionv and more particularly .vt o a construction in which the wall members a1.e..Xtended .upwardly merge with the roof.k

effect a lower continuationv ofthe roof.

Greenhouses. have heretofore been constructed of 'two general classes, namely, with the roof formed of planes with their lower edges resting directly on the walls, and with the lower edges of the roof curved. In'the second type it has glass roof.

heretofore been Vthought necessary to construct the roof substantiallyI entirely of steel and glass. This construction, however, not only added expense but increased the amount of shadow in the l interior of the greenhouse. In cases where the lower edges of the roof were curved it was'thought necessary to use thev steel construction in'order to Y'give sufficient rigidity to the roof itself. L

The vprincipal feature of this invention is to provide a structure whichr is the equivalent of a roof with its lowerA edges curved and yet construct a roof itself substantially entirely of ,wood and glass. I accomplish this vby extending the walls upwardly and curving them inwardly. ".lhe upwardly extending curved extensions of the walls, however, are glazed tosuch an extent that theyV admit suflicientlight so that they outwardly appear as portions'of the roof itself. These upwardly extending curved extensions are suitably braced and rigid and stiff enough, however,so that they virtually form integral parts of vthe* side walls. With this, construction there may be supported on the upward edges an ordinary roof with two planes .and suchroof may be made principally of wood and glass. t i;

-It is thus possible to produce a greenhouse having substantially all the'optical advantages of the older type'of construction with a curved roof and at the same time have the structural simplicity and inexpensiveness of a wood .and This is accomplished, as stated, by extending the rigid side walls upwardly and inwardly in a curve, glazing the upwardly curved extensions and supporting a wood roof upon the upper edges of the curved extensions.

Other features and advantages will appear` more fully as Iproceed with my specification.

In that form of device embodying the featuresl of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings-Fig. l is a view in vertical crosssection; Fig. 2 is a similar view on an enlarged scale showing the upwardly extending curved and, curved inwardlyto l Thev r curved extensions of t the vwall members are glazedsothat they orrnin t ei'ri'ensiojriv o fgoijiepr the side wams; Fig. 3 is a view'inside elevation takentat right angles" to Fig. 2;4 and Fig. 4 is a view rvin' perspective of one ofthe reinforcing members usedl inthe side wall extension.

A y l 1i'lrawin'gs,r the greenhouse in-K, `suitable .foundations I I'fforthe side walls,l Th"A de'wa'iigpemprisesja base is which-may lbe made/'of concretefbrick, or thelike, on which are supported suitable posts I4 which Amay -have window frames I5 between them. i 1

Each of the postsA I4 carries anjupwardly. extending inwardly curved rigid cast metal member 50, the lower end of whichcarries a platel 28 provided with holes 5I, r5I by which it may be securely bolted to the upper end of the post I4.

At the top of the plate 28 lthere is provided a nat horizontal platev 5.2 adapted to rest onv the top of the post I4 to give it additional A v rigidity and security.

The member50 is preferably in theiform of a. T in cross-section with the 'flange 22 on the outer.; curved surface andthe web l2,3 on the inner side. The upper end of the member 5Iicarries a perforated plate 24 to which the longitudinal angle iron 25 maybe attached to secure the upper ends of the members 5I), 50 together.

The spaces between the curved members 50 may be glazed, for example, by the provision of curved wooden membersv 26 fastened tothe memvbers 50 .carrying glass 53 between them.

It will be seen that by the construction above I y described, the vertical side walls are extended upwardly substantially to the extremities of the curved members 5I), such upwardly extending extensions of the side walls being curved inwardly. vSince the members 50 are relatively nari-1v row, the panes of glass 53 are large enough soI that' these extensions will outwardly appear as lower continuations of the roof. As a matter of fact, however, the members are strong and rigid and form integral parts of the side walls so that the construction is really one in which the side walls are extended upwardly and curved inwardly. The members 50 act as stiffening members for ther extensions of the rside walls soy that the roof can be supported by the upper l edges of said wall extensions. Consequently the roof may be formed principally of woodenjoistsy I6 with their lower ends carried by the upper ends of the members 50. Between the members I B is provided the ordinary roof glazing 54. y

y The ylower ends of the members I6 meet the upper ends of the members 26 and are both fas. tened to plates 21 carried atthe upper ends of the curved members 50, so that, to all outward appearances, the roof construction is extended downwardly to the lower ends of the members 50,

making it appear as if the roof itself had its lower 5 edge curved.

Near its lower end the member 50 is provided With a plate 3l upon which the angle iron 32 may be mounted to serve asiawaterfshedmember overxf:

the sash .5 5 mounted in the fraineflllp;

l0 Near the lower end of the member 50 is also provided a V shaped notch 56 adapted to supporta.'

a drip conductor 35. While I have shown and described certain"i enr-- bodimentsof my invention; i,tis.;.tobe-iunde 15 stood that it is capable ofmany5modiilcations.v

Changes, therefore, in the construction andrrarz-l`4 rangement may be made withoutldepartingrom., the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is my in'ten-.i l

20 tion to claim all novelty inherent in my invention asjbroadly as permissible, inview of the'priotr art."

What' Iblam LettrsfPatnuisw; l y p l'. Ina greenhouse construction: a'4 rigid Vside 25`wal1; a plurality of upwardly extending inwardly curvedl metallic members 'on''said side wall;. a purlin connecting'v the ends 'of the metallic ymemi bers; a wooden jcji'st" extending from 'the end of as new', 'anddesire to 'secure by".y

-witlia'centralisupport independent of the metal- ..1

members. n y

Agreenhouse,construction as set forth in 15 im1in which thepurlin abuts directly against the ends of the curved metallic members.

'fr' 4i Ii-iaE greenhouse construction an upwardly extending, inwardly curved metallic member provided With an outwardly extending ange at a 20 lowerportionthereof; thevflange having a shoul- V ders-on*itsuizxpe'rl surface to support acurved; `1" woodenglasssupporting member; means -upon the* a'nge -for securing the metallic member to aside wall,andrsaidiflange"being recessed to provideA a` 255 support'vfor4 ald'rip trough-Within `the greenhouse.

` PHILIP JL FOLEY, JR;v 

